Bremerton Burglary Victim Helps Detectives Reel in His Stolen Stuff

Erick Lounsbury’s computer e-mailed him this photograph, which indicated that police had located his stolen computer.

BREMERTON -

After weeks of seeing snapshots showing strangers using his stolen computer, Erick Lounsbury got the image he’d been waiting for: a flak-jacketed police officer, staring into the computer’s screen.

For Lounsbury, whose South Summit Avenue home was burglarized in October, the sight of the officer meant police had followed up on information he’d provided them: Photographs the stolen computer took every eight minutes of whomever was sitting in front of it, along with GPS coordinates of the computer’s location.

Before thieves stole about $24,000 in computers, electronics and jewelry from his home, Lounsbury had paid for a lifetime membership to Orbicule, a Belgian company that activates the computer’s camera and tracks it with GPS anytime it is plugged into an Internet connection. A number of other companies offer similar services.

“It’s the best $49 I’ve ever spent,” Lounsbury said.

Lounsbury was on vacation in Las Vegas when thieves struck. He’d had things stolen in the past and had insurance to cover the losses. But the computer held memories — photos of his English bulldogs, for instance — that would be lost permanently if he didn’t get it back.

The anti-theft software kicked in soon after the burglary, sending Lounsbury e-mails and texts of the computer’s location and pictures of its users. It was the best tip Bremerton Police Detective Mike Davis could have hoped for in investigating the break-in.

“I would not have located his computer without it,” Davis said.

The computer booted up in Seattle briefly, but ultimately settled at a residence at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton in Southern California, Lounsbury said. He kept local detectives informed of its movement and while it was comforting to track the computer’s location, it become somewhat torturous as he waited for police to act.

Davis coordinated with the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, which searched the home where the computer was located. Agents found the computer and other items taken from the break-in, Davis said.

Three people in their twenties, all from Bremerton, are under investigation in the case. But no formal charges have yet been filed, Davis said.

Lounsbury is eager to get his stuff back. But he’s also already bought the anti-theft software for his replacement computer. He hopes to never be burglarized again, but in the event he is, he wants to be prepared.

“People need to know that you’ve gotta take care of your own stuff, because no one else is going to,” Lounsbury said. “You’ve gotta do your part.”